The Gellért Hill Cave is part of a network of caves within Gellért Hill. The cave is also referred to as "Saint Ivans Cave" after a hermit who lived there and is believed to have used the natural thermal water of a muddy lake next to the cave to heal the sick.
The first modern entrance for the caves was constructed in the 1920s by a group of Pauline monks who were inspired by similar rock constructions in Lourdes, France.
After its consecration in 1926, it served as a chapel and monastery until 1951. During World War II, it also served as a field hospital for German army.
in 1951, the State Protection Authority raided the chapel as part of increasing action against the Catholic Church. The cave was sealed, the monasterys superior, Ferenc Vezér, was condemned to death, and the remaining brothers were imprisoned.
Following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the chapel was restored to the Pauline Order. Today, the monks continue to perform religious functions and the is a popular tourist attraction.
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